Abu Muhammad al-Adnani was a high-ranking member of ISIS and he was reportedly killed this week in Aleppo, Syria. The US had a bounty of $5 million on his head.
As ISIS grows its reach into new countries, the US and its allies are debating whether those affiliates should be attacked. And that decision has a lot to do with who's considered a part of ISIS at all.
Men and women from all over the world have joined ISIS, many are zealots with little or no expertise. Now the group is trying to reach out to those with specific set of skills, and it's adjusting its methods to appeal to to the smart and well-educated.
The news that ISIS has taken Ramadi hits home for veterans like Tom Daly. As a Marine, he helped US forces take the capital of Iraq's Anbar province by building an alliance with Sunni nationalists who are now targets for ISIS fighters.
Extremists behind the siege at a university in Kenya boast a "pioneering" media strategy that has paved the way for other media-savvy terrorists like ISIS. But it's still a chilling experience to get a call from al-Shabad amid a terror attack.
He confounded American commanders in Iraq and all but saved the regime of Bashar al-Assad. But until recently, few people outside of military circles knew the name of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. He's a public and popular figure in his home country now — and just as powerful as ever.
Two gunmen killed more than 20 people in Tunisia on Wednesday, shocking the country that many people have called the Arab Spring's only meaningful success story. And while most of the dead were tourists, a Tunisian journalist says locals are feeling the deaths strongly.
"Today, ISIS is running probably the most effective propaganda machine out there," says one analyst. But while ISIS may have the tools of activism down pat, it's far different from real activist movement in important ways.
The people of Amman have voted, and the city's sanitation workers will now don turquoise-colored jumpsuits rather than their old bright orange uniforms, which closely resemble the outfits ISIS hostages are forced to wear.
A major offensive against ISIS forces is under way in Iraq, and the Iraqi army is getting plenty of support from Iran and its Iraqi Shiite allies. One country that isn't getting involved, however, is the United States.
It's reminiscent of a black-and-white pirate flag and, for some, it conjures up similar feelings of death, destruction, outlaws and violence. Here is our quick explanation of the symbolism of the flag and the meaning of its Arabic phrases.
Some US Border Patrol agents believe the threat from ISIS on the US border is very real. But some southwestern politicians call the contention little more than anti-Islamic fear-mongering, saying the evidence doesn't support claims of ISIS infiltration.
Turkey is celebrating the release of 46 hostages by the Islamic State movement. But Turkey still seems unlikely to be able to give its full support to the US alliance against the militants.
Attacks in the French cities of Tours and Dijon over the weekend left pedestrians and police officers dead, and France wondering if radical groups like ISIS are taking the fight into their cities. But despite the attackers' seeming links to radical Islam, the jury is still out.
Nahida Ahmed Rashid began her military career years ago, fighting for the Kurdish separatist cause. Now she's the highest-ranking woman in the Kurdish peshmerga and squaring off with her troops against Islamic militants who've taken northern Iraq by storm.
James Foley's kidnapping and murder is a sad trend in the war in Syria, but it's paying off for terrorist groups. They've collected millions of dollars in ransoms, and journalist David Rohde, who spent seven months in Taliban captivity, says current kidnapping policies aren't keeping journalists safe.
One day, Dean Parker was watching the news on TV. The next he was packing up body armor and preparing to fight with Kurdish forces against ISIS militants in Iraq and Syria. Now he's looking for a flight home — and knows he has some explaining to do to the FBI and Homeland Security.
With Kurdish fighters in the city of Kobane trapped between ISIS attacks and Turkish indifference, anger inside Turkey is building. Nineteen Kurdish protesters were killed overnight, and it looks like Kobane may still surrender to ISIS despite US airstrikes.
ISIS moves may not make much practical military or political sense, but that violent illogic may be part of the group's appeal to recruits. And despite their errors, they don't appear to be on the verge of defeat any time soon.
Jordan Matson, from Racine, Wisconsin, was once a soldier in the US Army. Today Matson is a volunteer fighter with a Kurdish militia in northern Syria, fighting against ISIS and hoping to bring more Americans over to join the war.
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Belief
Sex toy or ISIS? Ever wonder what this black-and-white flag means?
PRI's The World
September 04, 2014
Updated
It's reminiscent of a black-and-white pirate flag and, for some, it conjures up similar feelings of death, destruction, outlaws and violence. Here is our quick explanation of the symbolism of the flag and the meaning of its Arabic phrases.
Conflict
Is ISIS a threat on the US border? Some border patrol agents believe it is — but others say not so fast
PRI's The World
September 29, 2014
Some US Border Patrol agents believe the threat from ISIS on the US border is very real. But some southwestern politicians call the contention little more than anti-Islamic fear-mongering, saying the evidence doesn't support claims of ISIS infiltration.
Conflict
Turkey's hostage problem is over, but it might stay on the sidelines versus ISIS
PRI's The World
September 22, 2014
Turkey is celebrating the release of 46 hostages by the Islamic State movement. But Turkey still seems unlikely to be able to give its full support to the US alliance against the militants.
Conflict
France endures deadly attacks, but can't decide if they're terrorism
PRI's The World
December 22, 2014
Attacks in the French cities of Tours and Dijon over the weekend left pedestrians and police officers dead, and France wondering if radical groups like ISIS are taking the fight into their cities. But despite the attackers' seeming links to radical Islam, the jury is still out.
Conflict
Meet the female colonel leading Kurdish forces into battle against ISIS
PRI's The World
August 07, 2014
Nahida Ahmed Rashid began her military career years ago, fighting for the Kurdish separatist cause. Now she's the highest-ranking woman in the Kurdish peshmerga and squaring off with her troops against Islamic militants who've taken northern Iraq by storm.
Conflict
If you're a kidnapped American hoping for help from the government, 'that isn’t going to happen'
PRI's The World
August 20, 2014
James Foley's kidnapping and murder is a sad trend in the war in Syria, but it's paying off for terrorist groups. They've collected millions of dollars in ransoms, and journalist David Rohde, who spent seven months in Taliban captivity, says current kidnapping policies aren't keeping journalists safe.
Conflict
Meet the surfing grandfather from Florida who helped the Kurds fight ISIS
PRI's The World
January 26, 2015
One day, Dean Parker was watching the news on TV. The next he was packing up body armor and preparing to fight with Kurdish forces against ISIS militants in Iraq and Syria. Now he's looking for a flight home — and knows he has some explaining to do to the FBI and Homeland Security.
Conflict
'The Kurds have no friends but the mountains'
PRI's The World
October 08, 2014
With Kurdish fighters in the city of Kobane trapped between ISIS attacks and Turkish indifference, anger inside Turkey is building. Nineteen Kurdish protesters were killed overnight, and it looks like Kobane may still surrender to ISIS despite US airstrikes.
Conflict
The 'ultra-violent death cult' at the heart of ISIS
PRI's The World
February 04, 2015
ISIS moves may not make much practical military or political sense, but that violent illogic may be part of the group's appeal to recruits. And despite their errors, they don't appear to be on the verge of defeat any time soon.
Conflict
A veteran from Wisconsin explains why he joined the fight against ISIS
PRI's The World
October 21, 2014
Jordan Matson, from Racine, Wisconsin, was once a soldier in the US Army. Today Matson is a volunteer fighter with a Kurdish militia in northern Syria, fighting against ISIS and hoping to bring more Americans over to join the war.